Club happenings in May

Website office(Wexford)

John Dier & Gary Nolan

Wednesday 25th May

The May bank Holiday weekend saw almost every person associated with rallying descend on Killarney for the International Rally of the Lakes. Without doubt, the biggest motorsport event in the country, this year it had the world renowned and former world champion Colin McRae acting as sweeper in what could only be described as the ultimate mk2 Escort. He left Killarney leaving nothing only great memories behind and the wishes of everyone that he returns to the lakes in 2006. In the main event, Eamon Boland took a fine fourth overall, just piping the Ford Focus of Austin McHale. Paul Cloke and Liam O’ Leary had hoped to be among the front runners in the Formula 2 category but were forced to retire on the Saturday stages. James Ryan and Liam O’ Shea’a weekend also came to a premature end when they were forced to retire after an accident on ss2.

A gaggle of junior entrants from the model county descended on Killarney for the junior event. At no.1 was last year’s winner James F Stafford and Niall Whitty aboard a works Super 1600 Puma. Second off the line was last year’s runner up Owen Murphy, who had Wexfords man Gary Nolan calling the notes for him. Matt Shinnors and Sean Duggan rounded off the top 3. However, competition was fierce and it was the Suzuki engined Escort of Barry Meade who topped the times on the famous Molls Gap stage, with Mick Deane second and Ray Conlon in a twin-cam Corolla third. First of the Wexford entry was Seamus O’ Grady, setting fourth fastest time aboard his Proton Satria kit car, run by Harry Hockley Motorsport. Five seconds back was John Stafford, the Corsa being driven on the limit to stay with the leading pack. 3 seconds further back was cousin James, having to learn very quickly about left hand drive and the wide track suspension of the Puma over Killarney’s unforgiving stages. A further six seconds back was Murphy in the Sumbeam, another car being driven on the door handles in an effort to stay with the leaders. Barry Murphy and David Byrne were fifth fastest in class up Molls Gap, a great achievement considering the little Nova was screaming up Molls Gap with only two gears!

Ballaghbemma, stage 2 was a telling point with its narrow unforgiving rock lined roads. Leader Meade was first to hit trouble, going off and dropping to sixth. O’Grady saw his fine run come to an end at the end of the stage when the Proton’s gearbox cried enough. Owen Murphy was also forced to retire when a track rod end broke a mile from the end of the stage forcing the Sumbeam off the road. John |Stafford lost a bucket of time and any chance of victory when the Corsa was held up for four mile behind slower cars. Onto Carragh Lake and Stafford was now in his stride in the Puma taking fastest time on stage three which moved him up to third and set for an attack on leader Conlon and second placed Jason O’ Mahony on the final stage. Carragh Lake also saw the demise of Liam Howlett after a big off in his twin cam corolla.

A second win was not to be for Stafford as the final stage times were not to count although that was not known to Jason O’ Mahony who set out to make up the seven seconds gap on leader Conlon and promptly put the Civics off in a big way leaving Stafford to claim second. John Stafford ended the event tenth overall and fourth in class while Simon Kehoe and Veronica Culleton brought the 106 home sixteenth overall and sixth in class.

And so it was off to Carlow for the much anticipated Escort Mk2 challenge. Although all the hype surrounded the lock to lock brigade, there was still a main event taking place with Wexford winner Stephen Murphy taking a start to finish victory from the Subaru of Patrick Elliot, who overcame some handling problems in the early stages to fight his way past Ray Breen who finished third. First in group N and a fabulous fourth overall on there debut in a Mitsubishi Evo VIII were Don Butler with Bunclody man David Doyle calling the notes.

However, the main attractions of the day, like last year was the Escort challenge. Last year’s runner up Camillus Bradley headed the line up, followed by Goreyman man David James with the flamboyant Welshman Gwyndaf Evans at no.3. And it was Evans who set the pace from the word go, setting a blistering pace none of the field seemed to have an answer for. Behind Evans, a four way battle was developing between Bradley, James, Seamus O’ Connell in the gorgeous 2.4ltr engined Escort and the surprise package of the day, Kevin and Martin Kelleher who were out in a hired Escort from Camillus Bradley. And it was Kelleher who was at the front of the pack when Evans left the road at high speed on a tightening left hander and out of the rally. Kelleher led the mk2 brigade home, with David James twenty odd seconds back and piping the flying O’ Connell by a mere second. Liam Wall was fourth after a trouble free run and Seamus Murphy rounded off the top five.

With the rally being so local there was a massive entry from the Wexford contingent. Willy Whitty debuted his new silver bullet Escort and finished tenth overall in the Escort challenge while Johnny Murphy and Martin Nolan in their P & S Tobin Haulage mk2 had a great run to 14th overall. Willy Kehoe jnr and snr survived a few hair-raising over-shoots in their Husqvarna Centre backed Escort to finish fourth in class.

In the main event, there was plenty of success for the Wexford boys. Damian Morris and TJ Roche won class 2 with Mark Cooper and Conan Shanahan third in class. Nicholas Cahill and Barry Barron not only took the class 3 honours in there McCarthy Kitchens Astra, they also finished a fabulous third overall in group N. As already mentioned, Don Butler and David Doyle took a commanding win in their first outing in their new Lancer. Tomas O Rourke and John McGrath scorched to class 7 honours and a brilliant 13th overall, followed home by Paul Cloke and Liam O’ Leary. John O’ Rourke and Leslie Walker took class nine honours by a mere 9 seconds from John O’ Donnell and Brendan Furlong. Those who didn’t make it to the finish included the Stafford’s, James M and James F who were having a great run in their first outing aboard a Escort but they were forced to retire at the end of stage 6. Mark and Derek Kennedy were flying in the rally-cam backed Nova but they departed the fray, along with Graham Scallan and Brian Kirwan on the treacherous stage 4.

There was also a junior section in the Carlow stages and once again the Wexford brigade was well packed into the entry list! However, at no.1 was the man to beat in junior rallies this year, Colin O’ Toole who had Wexford’s Anne-Marie Kennedy in the hot seat beside him. At no.2 in the Proton Satira were Seamus O’ Grady who had regular navigator Oonagh Roche back with him and hoping to reproduce the pace he had shown on the Lakes the previous weekend. At 4 was Tim Radford, back out on the stages aboard his Peugeot 106. At no.5 was John Stafford, who had David Murphy sitting in with him. Eddie Nolan and John Byrne were at 9 while Paddy O’ Dwyer and Pat Doyle were at 10 in the C.K. Performance engines Nova. Simon Kehoe and Veronica Culleton were late entries in their Peugeot 106.

At the end of stage 1, there was a three way tie for the lead, with O’ Toole, Radford and Stafford all setting a time that would have been good enough for eleventh fastest in the main field! However, O’ Toole had an off on the approach to the village and slight damage was done to the Nova’s radiator. O’ Grady was only 3seconds back, and this bunch had already opened up a gap on the rest of the chasing pack. With stage 2 being cancelled, the event was turned into a real sprint. However, O’ Toole had to change that radiator and lateness would incur him 45 seconds in road penalties, a big gap to real in.

After stage 3, it was O’ Grady in the Newtown wood backed Proton who led the field and showing a clean pair of heels in what was only his third event aboard his Proton, 8 seconds ahead of John Stafford who was driving the door handles off the little Corsa to keep the Proton in check. Radford was three seconds back from Stafford while O’ Toole was back in 6th, just behind the Nova of Paddy O’ Dwyer. Fastest time on the final stage netted O’ Grady, navigated by Oonagh Roche his first junior win and his second win this year, following on from his success in the forests in England in the 205 challenge aboard his NC rallying backed 205. Versatile or what! Any hopes Stafford had of catching O’ Grady evaporated on the last stage when a drive shaft broke a mile from the end of the stage. John admitted however, that it would not have made enough of a difference to catch the Proton. In third was Radford, 5seconds back and then came O’ Toole in fourth, still kicking himself for his over eagerness in the village on stage one, and left to ponder what might have been! Paddy O’ Dwyer finished 6th in the Nova, while Eddie Nolan and John Byrne finished eleventh aboard their mk2.

A final word, drive of the day must go to Terence O’ Shaughnessy and Eugene McGrath who flung their twin-cam from lock to lock in a wonderful display of driving to bring their Corolla home an amazing eight overall. Also, a big thank you to all the marshals who gave up their time to help run the Wexford motor club stage on the rally. It was a huge success and their efforts were greatly appreciated.

JD